A ribbon of humanity, numbering about 10,000, will pound the pavement of Victoria鈥檚 streets Sunday morning in the 30th sa国际传媒 10K.
Everyone will have their reasons to run, walk or roll, including former triathlete Andrew Russell. He came to Victoria in 2007 to train with Olympic champion Simon Whitfield and has made himself at home, becoming an engineer while still having time to win the 2014 Victoria Ironman 70.3 and the Island Race Series this year.
鈥淰ictoria is a really active community that is just the right size and full of all kinds of sports and past Olympians,鈥� said Russell, who also won the International Triathlon Union Continental Cup in 2012 in Magog, Que.
鈥淎nd the sa国际传媒 10K event has always been a big part of that.鈥�
It鈥檚 the type of community that fits Russell like a bike glove, which he wears as he cycles from his Saanichton home to work each day as an efficiency engineer with WSP sa国际传媒. Russell jokes that his training partner these days is his black lab Wallace: 鈥淗e鈥檚 such an energetic dog that he needs two runs a day. He keeps me honest.鈥�
Despite the running success, it is cycling that is Russell鈥檚 greatest athletic passion, and he still takes part in local races. And swimming? Well, that鈥檚 something most triathletes just endure.
At 36, Russell will be in the mix Sunday near the front of the pack, and certainly a factor in the masters classes.
鈥淣o way I鈥檒l be running up front with the Kenyans,鈥� he quipped.
Russell was referring to returning men鈥檚 champion Haron Sirma, who has a personal best time of 28:30, and fellow-Kenyan Daniel Kipkoech, a two-time past winner of the sa国际传媒 10K and five-time winner of the Victoria GoodLife Fitness marathon.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to be back,鈥� said Sirma.
About Kenya鈥檚 greatness in running, Sirma added: 鈥淲e grow up running at high altitude and proudly looking up at our past Olympic and world champions.鈥�
Also challenging will be Matthew Travaglini of Calgary, fourth two weeks ago in the massive Vancouver Sun Run.
At this point in his career, Russell is content with other sorts of victories: 鈥淭here are no good or bad results. It鈥檚 the effort that counts.鈥�
The women鈥檚 race morning will be led by Olympian Malindi Elmore of Kelowna, previous champion Dayna Pidhoresky of Vancouver and Sarah Inglis of Britain, who has run 32:30 this year.
鈥淚 think the women鈥檚 race record [the 32:56 set by Karolina Jarzynska of Poland in 2011] is in serious jeopardy,鈥� said former Canadian international Ulla Hansen, five-time winner of the sa国际传媒 10K, and now elite-athlete manager for the race.
鈥淚t is going to cost us money, but we will be happy to hand it out.鈥�
The conditions appear as if they will be ideal for fast times.
鈥淵ou can never guarantee no wind or rain, but the weather for Sunday looks tremendous,鈥� said race director Trish Fougner, a former University of Victoria running star and Canadian international.
Any city worthy of the name has a major running event as the Spandex set is a demographic any city would covet. Greater Victoria has two, with the sa国际传媒 10K in the spring and GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon in the fall.
The sporting aspect is only part of what have become celebratory festivals wrapped around a race which, in Victoria, includes the 1.5K Thrifty Foods Family Run as part of the 10K event. Also Sunday, there will be Elvis and an oldies band near the start line and a marimba band, taiko drummers and even a 1980s-themed water station along the route.
鈥淭he thing I remember most from last year was all the support from people cheering along the route,鈥� Sirma said.
The wheelchair racers are due to begin at 7:55 a.m., followed by the run starting at 8 on Government Street between the Royal sa国际传媒 Museum and sa国际传媒 legislature.
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